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My memories basically were of a three year old child during the Blitz on Birmingham which was the mass bombing by the German Luftwaffe. And I lived in Smethwick, which is about 3 miles from the City Centre of Birmingham. And a lot of the bombing raids affected us because we had a lot of War Factories in Smethwick; Castings and Foundries, which made the engine blocks, and aircraft and military vehicles. And obviously the Luftwaffe was after those sorts of places, and I remember during the latter part of 1940 and the early part of ’41 every night going down the air raid shelters. Most people had
Anderson shelters. But we went to communal ones in the Park and they took up to probably about 50 people at any one time. So when the air raid sirens went at just invariably 8 o’clock in the evening, we would have to put on our temporary clothing and go round to these shelters. And we would spend practically all night in those shelters, till about 8 o’clock in the morning. And when the all clear went, and then we’d make our move back home; and I think this went on for probably six months all together so we virtually lived in the shelters at that time. But I also remember, of course, the blackout as well, which was; you could not show any light at all in the houses. The street lights were out, vehicles couldn’t show lights, and, of course, in the houses they would not allow you to show your light at all, and what used to happen, we used to have to bring the blinds down; at night before you put the lights on. And if there was one small chink of light showing the air raid warden would knock on the door and say put that light out, or, cover the; it’s the one chink of light, that’s all that was needed.
The other aspect of war I remember was, in Victoria Park where we used to live, there was a Battery Station there, where they had Anti- Aircraft gun and also, what they call a Searchlight Battery. And they were manned every night, of course, when the bombings; and during the day I used to go round and chat to these people who were actually manning these Stations, and they were quite, they always seemed to be very kind to us children. And they often used to go off to the shops for sandwiches and things, you know. So, yes, quite interesting period really.
I remember the Victory Party at the end of the war, in our street we did have a party, cos we lived in one of these side roads, terraced houses where everybody knew everybody and naturally on that particular day everyone joined together with food and facilities for having a street party. And we had one in Corbett Street, Smethwick. It’s still there today, the street, all be it some of the houses have gone. We had quite an enjoyable day. We made our own hats out of newspapers. We had tables down the middle of the street. Jelly and Blancmange, Jam Sandwiches. I mean, not…, we didn’t have a lot of food; people just clubbed together and made a day of it.
And there was one or two people brought out Accordians. I don’t remember a piano being in the street but I certainly remember the Accordians; people playing Accordians. And, we sang right through to late evening, really.
There was rationing which ran for many, many years, of course. Particularly the sweets rationing, of course, the sugar, being a child, we would notice. And in fact I do recall the sweets coming off rationing in the early fifties. And then because of the surge and demand of sweets they had to put the rationing back on again. So they reintroduced rationing for a short time, and they finally came off in 1952.
And my father was on Occupational work, so he didn’t go into the Forces. He was actually working in a foundry. So he was actually on War Work, as it were, making Castings for aircraft. Oh, Smethwick’s famous for it, castings, and forgings, and that sort of thing.
(This story was submitted to the People's War site by a volunteer from Wyre Forest Volunteer Bureau on behalf of Rot Weston and has been added to this site with his permission. Mr Weston fully understands the site's terms and conditions.)

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